JPH0630932B2 - Paper feed controller for printer - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial field of application] The present invention is applicable to a tractor mode using a continuous paper tractor device even if a paper feeding device installed in a printer is in a cut paper mode using an automatic cut paper feeding device. However, the present invention also relates to a paper feed control device for a printer, which is capable of performing paper feed and alert processing without performing a mode switching operation.

[Prior Art] Conventionally, a printer may use a cut sheet or a continuous sheet. When using cut paper, for example, when a cut paper automatic feeder A as shown in FIG. 1 is installed in a printer and a paper feed signal (paper feed signal) is input from a host computer or the like, cut paper automatic feed is performed. Device A acts to cut paper P
Send out one a. It is located between the automatic cut paper feeder A and the printer side printing section by the platen 1, the pressing roller 2, the paper guide 5, the type 3, and the hammer 4,
A paper-out sensor Sa that detects a no-paper state (paper-out) and generates a signal is provided on the hopper tray 6.

On the other hand, when the continuous paper Pb is used, for example, when the tractor device T as shown in FIG. 2 is mounted on the printer and the paper feed signal as described above is input, the tractor device T is used.
Acts to continuously feed the continuous paper Pb. A known paper-out sensor Sb composed of a tension bar B is arranged between the tractor device T and the printing section.

In the printer, when the cut sheet automatic feeder A is mounted, it is connected to the drive gear 8 provided with the feed roller 7, and when the tractor device T is mounted, it is connected to the drive gear (not shown) of the tractor device T. Known gear trains 9, 10, 11 are provided, which gear trains 9, 10, 11
Rotates platen 1. The gear trains 9, 10 and 11 are omitted in FIG.

When the above-mentioned cut paper is used, it is necessary to control so that the next cut paper is supplied to the printing section every time the paper-out sensor Sa detects the paper-out (paper-out state). When the above continuous paper is used, it is necessary to control so that when the paper-out sensor Sb detects a paper-out (paper-out state), printing is stopped because there is no paper and paper feeding is stopped.

Therefore, it is necessary to perform different control when an alert signal is generated when using cut paper (automatic cut paper supply device) and when using continuous paper (tractor device). There is a drawback that a switching operation of a lever or the like for switching the mode is required, work efficiency is reduced, and switching means is required, which results in cost effectiveness.

Further, when the mode switching is forgotten, there arises a problem that the printer does not operate normally.

The present invention aims to eliminate the above-mentioned conventional drawbacks.

[Means for Solving Problems] Therefore, in the present invention, the cut sheet automatic feeding device and the continuous paper tractor device can be selectively used, and the space between the feeding device and the printing unit and the tractor can be used. A paper-out sensor (S) which is separately arranged in each paper path between the apparatus and the printing unit and detects a paper-out condition and generates a signal.
a, Sb), the paper out sensor of the paper-out sensor generates a detection signal, and then the feeding device or the tractor device in the selected and used state performs the paper feeding operation again. When the sensor again detects the absence of the paper, the printer is provided with an alert signal indicating the absence of the paper, and when the sensor does not detect the absence of the paper again, the printer is provided with a control means for instructing the printing operation.

EXAMPLES Examples of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

The control circuit 12 constituting the control means of the present invention inputs the detection signal of the paper out state from the paper out sensor Sa or Sb and controls the operation of the hammer 4.
And cut sheet automatic control device A or tractor device T
Output to the paper feed drive circuit 14 that controls the paper feed drive, and the alert processing circuit 1 that controls the printing and paper feed
An alert signal is output to 5.

Referring to the flowchart of FIG. 4, the printer performs a printing operation in response to a print command from the host computer. When the paper-out signal (first time) is generated after this printing operation is completed (STEP-1), a paper feed signal is generated to instruct the feeding operation of the feed amount according to the print format (STEP-2), and the paper-out signal is issued again. Determine whether a signal is generated (STEP-3).

Automatic cut paper feeder A according to the print format
A new cut sheet Pa is sent out when is mounted, and a continuous sheet is sent out when the tractor device T is mounted. When the paper-out signal is generated again when the feeding operation is completed, it is determined as the second paper-out signal, the alert signal is generated, and when the paper-out signal is not generated again, the printing operation is continued.

When a new cut sheet is fed by the above-mentioned paper feed (STEP-2) when the automatic cut sheet feeder A is attached to the printer, the new cut sheet faces the paper-out sensor Sa for the second time. When the paper-out signal is not generated and the second paper-out signal is generated, it indicates that new (second) cut paper is not supplied. On the other hand, when the continuous paper is fed by the paper feed (STEP-2) while the tractor device T is mounted, the continuous paper faces the paper-out sensor Sb and the second paper-out signal is not generated, When the second paper-out signal is generated, it indicates that the continuous paper is still not supplied.

Therefore, regardless of whether the printer is equipped with the cut sheet automatic feeding device A or the tractor device T, when the first paper-out signal is generated, a predetermined paper feeding operation is performed and the second paper-out signal is sent. When an alert signal occurs, an alert signal is generated (STEP-4), and the alert signal acts on the alert processing circuit 15 to perform alert processing. When the second paper-out signal does not occur, the alert signal is normal.
It can detect whether it is out of paper or normal.

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, whether the cut sheet automatic feeding device is attached or the tractor device is attached, the paper feeding can be performed without performing the mode switching operation, and the alert detection can be surely performed. There is an effect that the malfunction due to forgetting to switch is eliminated, the mode switching operation is not required, the work efficiency is improved, the switching device is not required, and the cost is reduced.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of an essential part when a cut sheet automatic feeding device is installed in a printer, FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of an essential part when a tractor device is installed, and FIG. 3 is a circuit diagram of an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a flow chart of the embodiment of the present invention.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A cut sheet automatic feeding device and a continuous paper tractor device can be selectively used, and each paper path is provided between the feeding device and the printing unit and between the tractor device and the printing unit. In a printer provided with a paper-out sensor (Sa, Sb) which is separately arranged to detect a paper-out condition and generates a signal, the paper-out sensor detects that the paper-out condition is detected, and then the printer is selected for use. When a certain amount of paper feeding operation is performed by the feeding device or the tractor device, and when the sensor again detects the absence of paper, the printer issues an alert signal indicating that the paper is out. A paper feed control device for a printer, comprising: a control means for instructing a printing operation.